Land of the Dead (2005)

As a director crafting the latest installment in an acclaimed body of work, Romero found himself in an enviable position—he was able to pick and choose his filmmaking team and cast…a definite change from when he was a new filmmaker in the 1960s trying to break ground with a film about zombies.

Romero’s reputation for crafting socially relevant plots resulted in a wealth of casting possibilities to consider. “I was able to get my first choice for each of the characters—that doesn’t happen very often,” he states.

Canton adds, “George’s unique iconic situation in the industry attracted the best actors, so casting was an amazing process for everyone.”

Simon Baker was always at the top of the list to play Riley, commander of Dead Reckoning and the hero of the story. Canton and Goldmann were familiar with Baker’s work from Red Planet, a film on which they had all previously collaborated. “They thought very highly of him. He was just sensational, a great actor, perfect for the role but he’s also a wonderful guy. He’s great to have on the set. He keeps everybody up and light, and he has a terrific sense of humor,” comments Grunwald.

A native of Australia, Baker was mostly unfamiliar with Romero’s work, but after a crash course in the filmmaker’s oeuvre, quickly became enthused about the prospect of appearing in a George Romero film. “George’s films could be classified in the horror genre, but really, he’s a genre unto himself. I had an early experience with Dawn of the Dead, which I saw when I was 17, and I couldn’t get over it—I remember it vividly. But I hadn’t really revisited his films until my manager sent me the script for Land of the Dead. After I met with George, which was a great experience, I went home and watched all of his movies. Then, well, I was hooked. I had to do it.”

Romero’s meeting with Dennis Hopper was orchestrated by Canton, a longtime friend. “Mark felt that Dennis and I had a lot in common,” recalls Romero.

“I think that Night of the Living Dead and Easy Rider are among the signature movies of the ‘60s generation,” observes Canton. In keeping with Canton’s hunch, the men found an easy rapport and after a successful meeting, Hopper agreed to take on the role of Kaufman, the self-appointed leader of Fiddler’s Green, the enclave of the privileged few.

Hopper approached the role by thinking of Kaufman as a corporate CEO—a man who assumes the responsibility of keeping the residents of Fiddler’s Green safe. “I’m not playing him like a bad guy—I don’t think he sees himself as a bad guy. He built fences to keep people safe; he’s hired the army and pays to train them. He keeps the citizens on the street occupied by giving them games and vices. He’s trying to do the best he can.”

For the role of Slack, an ex-prostitute who becomes an invaluable member of Riley’s team, Romero chose Asia Argento, who, through her family tree, shared a bit of history with the filmmaker. “Asia was always my first choice. I have known her for a long time—her father [Italian filmmaker] Dario Argento helped to finance and produce my version of Dawn of the Dead. I thought it would be great to have her in the movie,” explains Romero.

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